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If we didn't have the Labs (Sandia/Los Alamos/White Sands) NM would be fighting Mississippi for lowest per capita income. Santa Fe and Los Alamos people are high dollar folks and parts of ABQ do OK but the rest of the state is extremely poor and good paying jobs are not readily available.The Feds, with the labs and military bases have done their part, but state government is lacking on it's part. From my limited observation, all the new casinos haven't helped much in the poverty improvement.
A GAO study rated NM government second to last (like income) and only a more crooked southern state (that got flattened by a hurricane) is worse for government ethics - yet we keep voting in the same people (just did it again 2 weeks ago).
Public school system is bad, but teachers are dedicated given the funds they have to work with - and the teachers are way underpaid, but when a $3/4 $billion initiative to improve education was taken from the state severance funds by this govenor a few years ago, nothing improved (in Santa Fe 28 school administrators received large take home 4X4 SUV's - so Admin 28, kids 0). $750 million should have made a difference, given our population size, but nothing changed.
On the plus side, as others have mentioned, it is beautiful here, and you can find most any kind of weather that you like, except rain forest. I have lived here for more than 25 years because I choose to ignore most of the problems that I can't change, and help with the little bit that I can.
Location: Northern and Western Washington State (the rainy part)
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Love / Hate About NM
Having left NM last week after placing an offer on some property in Roswell I have to say NM is in many ways just like any other state. It has the crime/alchohol/economic problems many states have. It seems to me the area is so vast that we don't see or hear of it as often as the major cities. Of course I was in Roswell watching Roswell news/weather for a week.
My opinion of NM is that it's a beautiful state with much to offer. I choose Central NM to buy because it was cost effective and the weather is great all year long.
Over the summer I had the pleasure of visiting the beautiful state of New Mexico. I found that south of Alberque it was pretty poor and a bit sleazy. As I gravitated north to Santa Fe things really started to turn around and I said to myself self "this is VERY NICE!". When I arrived in Taos, I felt immediately invigorated in Mind, Body and SPIRIT. I was so charmed by this enviorment that I plopped some of my hard earned money and bought a couple acres of pristine "High Desert" property and I now plan on building a house on it and moving out there. All my friends and family think I'm crazy but they just don't understand. Who want's to live in New Jersey anyway ii's a crappy, greedy, corrupt and stress filled state. Let me bath in the SUN of NEW MEXICO!
Only 30 min to clear security? Sweet. Try O'Hare [chicago] after an incident in travel anywhere. I've spent as much as two hours in the international terminal getting thru [tho admitedly 30 min is a low average - I do a lot of flying].
I find this thread very interesting, but feel the positives still outweight the negatives, at least from the distance of Ill.; well one more trip down there at least to decide for me: Socorro, Las Cruces, Deming seem to be what we're narrowing it down to ....
I dug this thread out of the archives because my wife and I would like to move to New Mexico and are thinking seriously about Socorro. Which town did you choode?
Only 30 min to clear security? Sweet. Try O'Hare [chicago] after an incident in travel anywhere. I've spent as much as two hours in the international terminal getting thru [tho admitedly 30 min is a low average - I do a lot of flying].
I find this thread very interesting, but feel the positives still outweight the negatives, at least from the distance of Ill.; well one more trip down there at least to decide for me: Socorro, Las Cruces, Deming seem to be what we're narrowing it down to ....
I'm a Chicagoan and I just bought a condo in Las Cruces because I fell in love with New Mexico, don't take me wrong I love Chicago as well and my first thought was to buy a condo by North Lakeshore Drive with a view of Lake Michigan, but the winter weather does not love me and decided to go South instead. I know that in Las Cruces they don't have Italian beef sandwiches, Chicago Style hot dogs, real Giordano's Pizza, Ely cheese cakes, White Sox, Cubs, Bears or Bulls, but I will watch them on television and will travel to Chicago from time to time to eat my favorite foods.
What do i love about NM....
Huge Mountain ranges rainges and yet far enough south where we do not freeze like Montana, Idaho, Canadian Rockies etc...
Lots of Sunshine and low humudity...
Lots of history with the Native peoples, Spanish early explorers, Anglo/irish Miners and Ghost Towns all over. Even Clovis Man (Paleolithic era ?)
Beautiful Chihuahuan Desert over the lower 2/3 of state and mountains with Pine trees, Douglas Firs, Campgrounds etc. Or rock mountains with Hang Gliding, Repelling, Sheer Cliff Climbing etc..
Anyway thats a few good points...
What do i hate about NM....
Wish there was more water as in Recreation. Although we have some lakes but not enough where you can Waterski, Jetski, intertube etc..within close proximity like in other states and our rivers are low or run dry alot.
Anyway thats a few bad points....
Last edited by Six Foot Three; 04-05-2007 at 04:38 PM..
What I love about NM far outweighs what I dislike.
I LOVE the skies and sunrises and some of the most amazing sunsets
Ive ever seen. I love the desert and all the creatures that inhabit it, they
are interesting to me. I LOVE the chilis, havent found any as good.
I love the heat and dry climate, good for my bones and the sunny days
are just so uplifting. I could go on and on.
What I dislike...
The mosquitoes after monsoon season
The DWI problem
The low paying important jobs ie firefighters, cops, etc
What makes a place desirable is the harmonious combination of geography, fauna, flora and people. Of course only Paradise if really exist, would be perfect. Not every person will agree about the right combination of those factors, but for me who has lived in the tropics, in Michigan, Arkansas, Alabama and Texas, New Mexico has a special attraction, perhaps because it's so different from the many places that I have experienced, also because as a painter I quickly respond to beauty or perhaps because of my Hispanic roots. Geografically, certain parts of New Mexico remind me of the provinces of Andalusia and Extremadura in Spain with only one thing missing, the long rows of neatly planted olive trees.
Last edited by tito; 04-06-2007 at 02:38 PM..
Reason: adding one line
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Love / Hate About NM
I love the desert and all the creatures that inhabit it, they
